I find that sometimes the heel of my hand is off the table on high follow strokes. Is this ok or should I try to toss this habit?

Qtec

06-12-2003, 01:00 PM

Toss it. Qtec

06-12-2003, 01:11 PM

Well, to each his own, so I can't say you're WRONG to do that, but it sure doesn't seem like a stable bridge to me.

Unless I'm standing on my fingertips to shoot over a ball or rail, the right side of the heel of my bridge hand (I'm right handed) is firmly planted on the table, supporting up to maybe 30% of my weight. For my follow bridge, I simply draw my extended fingers closer towards the heel of my hand to form a raised tent shape, raising the height of the bridge as needed. I do this for both open and closed bridges. The fleshy base of the thumb will rise at most a half inch or so off the table, but the side opposite the thumb remains firmly planted on the table.

Koenig

06-12-2003, 03:39 PM

If itīll do for the champ of the world it canīt be that bad. /ccboard/images/graemlins/wink.gif Iīve seen Strickland do that shot with a lot of style and finesse. Looks ok to me.

Rod

06-12-2003, 06:16 PM

Toss it unless being over a ball etc requires such. Much more stable to have the heel of your palm on the table. I see people do this all the time. As far as I'm concerened it is nothing but a bad habit.

Rod

Scott Lee

06-12-2003, 07:42 PM

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote Koenig:</font><hr> If itīll do for the champ of the world it canīt be that bad. /ccboard/images/graemlins/wink.gif Iīve seen Strickland do that shot with a lot of style and finesse. Looks ok to me. <hr /></blockquote>

Earl may play some shots like that, but MOST shots he plays with a solid bridge, with his palm and fingertips touching the table! As Rod and David said, this is a sturdier bridge, and much preferred for most shots, regardless of where you are aiming on the CB (unless shooting over a ball).

Scott Lee

06-13-2003, 07:37 AM

Yes it is OK to have the heel of your hand off of the table on follows where you are hitting high up on the cue ball. The greatest cueist of all time used this method, his name was Willie Hoppe. You can see him do this in his book published in l941 Billiards as it should be played. You can find copies of that book around today. It's a little hard to describe with out seeing a picture, you take your normal three finger closed loop bridge and address the ball. Your heel of your hand is on the table. Simply raise up your heel off of the table, allow your left arm to be straight and locked, form a nice tri pod bridge with your 3 fingers. You will be amazed how high you can now bridge. The Billiard ball Mr. Hoppe used is bigger and taller than the cue ball you use, so this method allowed him to get high up on the taller ball.

Most of the modern 3-cushion stars today do not use this. Then just roll over on the left side of the heel of their hand, and can adjust their bridge where they can achieve the same high impact hit on the taller cue ball and keep the heel on the bed of the table. To observe this method being used, call up
Accustats and order any 3-cushion video featuring Raymoud Cuelemans, perhaps the greatest billiard player of all time, his bridge and method are of course surperb.
The Ice Mon